Sweden: Melodifestivalen, semi 2

New week, new short clips, new first impressions. Last week, my first impressions weren't exactly spot on when it came down to predicting any sort of result but that had more to do with me not believing in Sweden's ability to embrace a slick quality song. My bad.

This week I ask myself whether there is any point at all in listening to these short clips. Even after a second listening I couldn't hear anything that sounded really interesting. There was nothing that stood out in the way that I would long to hear the full three minutes of these songs.

So I listened a few more times and this is what I make of this week's line-up:

01. David Lindgren / We Are Your Tomorrow
Surprisingly similar in beat to Samir & Viktor's effort last week. I have never been a huge fan of David's entries in the past - I find him a bit too polite to make an impression - but this sounds like a decent chorus at least.

02. Viktor och Natten / 100 %
Viktor is sweet and so is the song in its own little way. This will be three pleasant minutes that not many people will remember by the end of the presentation.

03. Molly Pettersson Hammar / Hunger
Interesting how Molly can display so much personality outside of stage without bringing any of it with her into the song. It sounds slick and radio friendly but also fairly anonymous.

04. Isa / I Will Wait
All I get out of this clip is the feeling that a short snippet is nowhere near enough to do this justice. It needs its build-up, progression and the climax I am really expecting, having read everyone else's reviews.

05. Krista Siegfrids / Faller
Clearly the best energy out of all these clips which is hardly surprising given Krista's track record. Promising but doesn't this sound more like a verse than the chorus it is meant to be?

06. Patrik, Tommy & Uno / Håll mitt hjärta hårt
Three good voices but a pretty lean-sounding clip on the total. Like a Balkan ballad with no flute. And with no bite.

07. Wiktoria / Save Me
Good voice but this chorus sounds like an updated remake of any of the disco hits at any given moment of the late 1970's. Maybe it will unfold tonight but so far I had expected more.

Last week I felt far from blown away after hearing the short snippets and I feel the same way now. My problem last week was that only two of the songs really developed into personal favourites of mine (Ace & Robin). Now I hope that Isa and Krista will knock me out in the end.

Other thoughts: Will Wiktoria's high tech light show make her performance too static? Are the fans of Patrik, Tommy & Uno passionate enough to vote a lot? Will the charm of David Lindgren do the trick again? And will the average viewer even remember that Molly PH failed last year and would deserve some consolation this year?

Tobson predicts:
Final: Isa and Krista
Andra Chansen: David and Wiktoria
5th: Molly
Out: Patrik, Tommy & Uno and Viktor och Natten

After 14:00 CET the longer clips will be available at the official melodifestivalen website.

Finland: UMK, semi 2

The first week of UMK felt a bit chaotic, the second week will miss out on its star presenter who is busy cutting a career for herself in the Swedish final. So what is in store for us viewers this week?

There will be some nerve-wracking moments as we will find out if the better songs in the running will survive their live performances. Will the singers deliver vocally and will the stage presentations work in favour of the songs or against them?

Just like last week, I am unsure what the real running order will be so here are the songs presented in the same order as they come on the official UMK website.

Attention 2 / Ready For The Show
It starts out quite nicely, this little pop number. The verse sounds promising enough but then the chorus is too flat and the song lacks any kind of progress or development. Also neither the video clip nor the UMK press conference would suggest that this Finnish equivalent of Tomalchevy sisters would be ready for the big time.
Grade: 1/5

Cristal Snow / Love Is Blind
When an entry has as obvious an agenda as this one has, it really needs to be genuinely strong in order not to become tiresome preaching. This is a powerful song, slightly marred by some lines that seem to contain too many words. My big worry here is the vocal delivery - not so much Cristal's own but whether the backing singers will be powerful enough. Could easily aspire to a higher grade if everyone delivers on stage.
Grade: 3/5

Annica Milán & Kimmo Blom / Good Enough
A classic pop anthem of a kind that thrived in Melodifestivalen some ten years ago. It could be Pernilla Wahlgren and Jan Johansen performing this. It could be Crosstalk. Not my cup of tea really but good voices could lift it into the final.
Grade: 2/5

Rafaela Truda / Rise Up
Snappy production and a good voice are the good signs here. There is a chorus that is easy to retain and hold on to. The problem is that this entry and performance could rapidly find itself being all over the place. Rafaela will need a lot of authority to keep this together, if she does we could all be in for a surprise.
Grade: 3/5

Ylona / Blazing Fire
Maybe I'm just an old cynic but I have had it with young performers singing passionately about how wonderful it is to stand on stage and sing. I can hardly think of a less interesting subject for a song. Ylona does nothing wrong but it would take a close to superhuman force to set this number ablaze.
Grade: 1/5

Mikael Saari / On It Goes
Three years after his first attempt, Mikael Saari has grown from a boy into a rather adorable young man and has a magnificent voice and presence that I look very much forward to. Unfortunately his new song is trying a bit too hard and lacks some of the originality and freshness of his first entry.
Grade: 3/5

Tobson predicts:
Last week all qualifiers were female. This is the time where the boys strike back. My guess is that Mikael Saari and Cristal Snow are the obvious choices, probably joined by the Milán & Blom duet (even if I would personally would prefer Rafaela Truda).

This week's performers almost compete in different contests, though. If Attention 2 would come across as bubbly and adorable they could suddenly find themselves in the final while it's enough for Mikael Saari to slip on a single critical note to make his chances go out the window.

Austria selects for Stockholm

Tonight Austria will select their entry for Stockholm. Funnily they retain the same selection modus that gave them a big fat zero on home ground last year - the first time in the history of the contest that the host country fails to score.

But then again, everyone can have a bit of bad luck. Last year's Austrian selection was fun to follow. Interesting artists, quite good songs. It is better to evaluate the actual show rather than the ensuing ESC result.

However, few countries have had so much bad luck through Eurovision history as Austria has. When selecting internally, ORF often came up with odd choices that were not in line with what people wanted to vote for. And most of the years they organised national finals, they also failed to pick the best candidate on offer.

Conchita Wurst was the rare bulls eye that broke through to people all over the continent and spoke to large audiences everywhere. Not sure a similar pearl in the making is hiding in tonight's final - I only heard the songs very quickly some time ago so I can't say for sure - but hopefully there will be a good enough winner for Austria to get through to the final and keep the national interest that suddenly seems to be there alive.

Personally I keep my fingers crossed for the lovely Zoë who had an excellent song last year (and should have won then) and who hopefully will get her revenge this time around.



Zoë - Loin d'ici (Austria national final 2016)

Finland & Sweden: first semi roundup

That was it - in both Finland and Sweden the eurovision season started with a bang last night, and we have our first finalists in both countries. I watched Melodifestivalen live and then UMK delayed and here are my first impressions.

UMK seems to have maintained the ambition to be a more exciting and entertaining tv show it aspired to be last year. At least at first. Unfortunately, after a promising start the show fell apart a bit. Started lacking in tempo. Started lacking in contempt. Hopefully that was just a temporary glitch.

Another thing I was missing in this first semi was the strong determined voice of a producer. Someone who can tell people in advance when their ideas won't work. Mikko Herranen's failed hoverboard stunt must be one of the most cringeworthy moments on Finnish live television ever.

But also someone that could remind inexperienced singers where the cameras are and what they are good for and why you should throw them a look every now and then.

Having said this, the right songs qualified for the final even if all of them have work to do for the final. Saara Aalto must learn how to cool down and not come across as so frantic on tv. Eini needs to hit the notes better and Stella Christine really must get rid of that guitar she's hiding behind. But all in all, a promising start.

Tobson's current top 3 in the final:
1) Saara Aalto / No fear
2) Eini / Draamaa
3) Stella Christine / Ain't Got Time For Boys

Sweden kicked off their celebration year as the modern melodifestival with semi finals on tour turns 15 this year. With Gina Dirawi, Petra Mede and loads of nostalgia, nothing could go wrong here.

Or could it? The show was slick and entertaining - you can tell Edward af Sillén is back in charge - but sometimes it felt like the energy was a bit low. Was I expecting too much or did anyone else sense the same thing?

Also, the big Anna Book disqualification thing took a lot of space in the show. A bit too much, perhaps. Anna got to sing her entry outside of competition and is doing a whole lot better in the charts than she probably would have, had she not been disqualified. Let that be enough of a reward.

The general level of songs was OK but not overwhelming. It doesn't have to be in a first semi, the audience will enjoy themselves anyway. But next week I'd long for a slightly stronger selection.

The two songs that made it straight to Globen were clearly in a league of their own. And yet I thought Robin Bengtsson's entry would be too slick and elegant for Swedish voters. I haven't forgotten the shock non-qualification of Josef Johansson's "Hela natten" two years ago and was very happy to see that the general taste of the general public has improved since.

Ace Wilder is a temple of coolness. Perhaps there isn't much of a traditional chorus in her song, but I love how she makes it work anyway.

The only thing I would have changed? Mimi to Andra Chansen instead of Samir & Viktor. But I won't let that ruin the mood.

Tobson's current top 2 in the final:
1) Ace Wilder / Don't Worry
2) Robin Bengtsson / Constellation Prize

Spain organised a final - and I say yay

It's been almost a week since the Spanish final was held so maybe my reaction is a bit slow. But I have finally decided that the broadcast was a success and a good step to take.

I have understood that the national broadcaster RTVE is not exactly at the height of its glory right now. Seldom a ratings winner, seen by many as a mouthpiece for local politicians rather than an objective news provider, not seldom getting suspected of having some sort of agenda.

These are not my theories, these are things I picked up from here and there across the social media and other internet hangouts. But maybe they would need some quality flagship programming that could bring in viewers and help rebuild the brand.

Having a popular national final for Eurovision is not a bad weapon at all. And for a first step in that direction, the Spanish final was not bad at all. I'd just like to point out a few ways of making it even better for years to come.

Make it bigger.
In a record industry like the Spanish it couldn't be hard to find ten or twelve entries that were good enough. This way, you can have a more quick-paced show with a more intense tempo and make better use of the broadcast time.

Make it local.
There is loads of songwriting talent in Spain. You really don't need tired rewrites like "Victorious".

Make it better.
Use more time to rehearse. Help the artists out with choreographers and stylists. Try to make every entry look as good on-screen as is only possible. Performing on a top notch tv show with high ratings is something many singers will want to do.

As for the winner, I say it was the only possibility that made sense. "Say Yay!" is a happy, contemporary and catchy track, balancing on the fine line between being infectious and being terribly annoying. Which is not a bad thing if you want to have a hit single.

What it needs now is a complete makeover. It needs better backing vocalists, it needs better styling, it desperately needs a choreographer with an idea of what looks good on television. All of this without removing the strong personality of Barei.

Do this badly and we will be looking at a Spanish version of Ann Sophie. Do it well and we could be looking at a contender, possibly Spain's best chance of success since Beth.



Barei / Say Yay (Spain 2016 - studio version)

Finland: UMK, semi 1

2015 was a really good year for UMK. It really was. There was a huge boost concerning production values and content, the new presenting style and absence of more or less irrelevant "experts made for a much better tv show. The lineup was also an interesting mix of very different kinds of Finnish contemporary music.

Then there was the tiny drawback that the eventual winner represented very little of all this and ended last in its semi final in Vienna. You can't get everything right at once, I suppose.

Another problem is that very few of the songs managed to find commercial success of any kind after the contest. It would be better for a hit contest to actually produce hits, but this year's lineup seems even stronger. Maybe this is the year things turn for the better?

Like last year, it seems Yle won't reveal the running order until the broadcast starts so here are my reviews in the order the songs are presented on the official UMK website.

Saara Aalto / No Fear
Nobody wants this like Saara Aalto does. She really wants to break through and become a star and be loved by the masses. She was the runner-up to Paradise Oskar back in 2011 but this is clearly her best shot to date. Her song is bold and effective and sounds a bit as if Kate Bush had written the soundtrack to Disney's Frozen. Not the most instant song ever but most rewarding and not a bad gamble for Eurovision.
Grade: 4/5

Mikko Herranen / Evil Tone
Some sort of rock ballad. That's how I would describe it. I think. Every time I try to remember what it sounds like, it escapes me. That can never be a good sign.
Grade: 1/5

Stella Christine / Ain't Got Time For Boys
A good voice and a very pleasant style but another song that just isn't strong enough. It sounds good for as long as it goes on and then it fades, but if Stella Christine sings as well live as on the studio recording this could be a surprise in the making.
Grade: 2/5

Eini / Draamaa
Given Eini's omnipresence in Finnish showbiz since the late 1970's - where she landed a big hit with the local version of Baccara's Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - it is surprising this is only her second attempt to make it to the ESC. She found herself a more than decent contemporary pop schlager in a stylish arrangement and while the chorus could have been stronger it would be deeply unfair if she didn't make it into this week's top three.
Grade: 3/5

ClemSO / Thief
This former member of a Nigerian boy band has a very pleasant voice I'd love to hear more of. His entry is well produced but again lacking that final handle or push or surprise needed to stand out.
Grade: 2/5

Pää-Äijät / Samppanjataivas
Song-wise this one has it all: an infectious rhythm, a hit sound and a most effective hook. Personally I have had it up to here with this kind of male performer that is "weird" and "funny" and "crazy" but even I must admit this is a functioning package.
Grade: 3/5

Tobson predicts:
It is always hard predicting when the only thing you have to go on are the studio versions and video clips provided by Yle. Who will be able to pull their performance off once the cameras are on?

Having said this, I think the top trio of this semi final will be Saara Aalto, Eini and Pää-Äijät. Saara can sing, Eini is very experienced and Pää-Äijät's song sounds like a hit single.

However - if ClemSO or Stella Christine manage to burn through the screen and make their songs work, either one could potentially steal Eini's spot in the final. Which would really be a shame.

Sweden: Melodifestivalen, semi 1

A few years ago, I stopped listening to the (almost) full-length clips of the Melodifestivalen entries that appear on the SVT website and content myself with the 30-second snippets presented each Thursday.

It does make it harder to predict, but who said things should be easy in the first place?

Most of the songs this week are about to get eclipsed anyway as one of the entires got disqualified two days prior to the semi. Anna Book's "Himmel för två" had already been published online when entered for the 2014 Moldovan final and was found ineligible to compete now.

All songwriters entering Melodifestivalen must sign a contract where they guarantee that their songs comply with the rules. This team claim they had no idea the song was made official back then and maybe that is true. However, a new rule paragraph stating that no song can be entered into Melodifestivalen if it has been entered to (and rejected from) another country's final could possibly come in handy.

It was in no way a major favourite that was pulled out of the running, but its absence could very well upset the balance between the other songs. Not least since it will be performed on the show and get compared to the others, only having the audience sympathy on its side.

01. Samir & Viktor / Bada nakna
Their entry last year was no big favourite of mine and I don't think this one will be either. Of course it is instant, catchy, easy to grab on to and a hit in the making. To me it just sounds like Basshunter kept evolving in the shadows, waiting for a chance to destroy us all.

02. Pernilla Andersson / Mitt guld
Proper and clean-cut singer/songwriter-material in Swedish. Very pleasant but hardly the song that will have the audience reach for the voting app.

03. Mimi Werner / Ain't No Good
A brave attempt to bring in some country music that wouldn't sound as polished and polite as the genre usually does in MF. The intention is good but this sounded very messy in the short clip.

04. Albin & Mattias / Rik
Sounds like a song that would be a hit on Swedish radio. Unfortunately that is probably its biggest problem: it sounds more like a radio song than something that would grab the viewers during a Saturday night tv show.

05. Anna Book / Himmel för två - Disqualified
A pretty average and very old-fashioned schlager that went from underdog to many people's favourite. Will be performed during the show but not until all other songs were heard.

06. Robin Bengtsson / Constellation Prize
Another stylish, likeable and radio friendly song with a not too distant kinship with Måns Zelmerlöw's recent output. Could suffer badly from coming directly after song 04 with no bouncy schlager in between them.

07. Ace Wilder / Don't Worry
Ace is going for gold with a spectacular stage show and a song that is likely to open up more when you hear it in full. Most likely the hit of the week but it is impossible to tell from this short snippet.

I decided to believe everyone who says Ace Wilder is in a league of her own this week, not least because I adored her entry two years ago. Apart from that - and the sad fact Pernilla is likely to grab that last place - I have no idea how to guess. Nothing really punched me in the face so far, so to speak.

My guess is that the charm of Samir & Viktor will work again and that the unfortunate new running order will make it a whole lot harder for the two radio songs to make an impression.

Tobson predicts:
Final: Ace Wilder and Samir & Viktor
Andra chansen: Mimi Werner and Albin & Mattias
5th: Robin Bengtsson
Out: Pernilla Andersson

During Saturday afternoon, the longer clips will be available at the official SVT website.